Arumugam to also quit Bukit Selambau – sources
By Lee Wei Lian (The Malaysian Insider)
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 9 – Another by-election is on the cards after Bukit Gantang parliamentary seat as PKR's V. Arumugam, who resigned from the Kedah executive council today for personal reasons, is expected to also quit his Bukit Selambau state seat tonight, sources said.
A PKR source said Arumugam had sent resignation letters for both his post and state seat but Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak had only announced that he has stepped down as executive councillor for domestic trade and Indian affairs.
Bukit Gantang MP Roslan Shaharum from Pas died earlier today of a suspected heart attack. The first-term Perak MP's death leaves Pakatan Rakyat with 81 seats in the 222-seat parliament.
If confirmed tonight, both Pakatan Rakyat and Barisan Nasional will have to mount two election campaigns in Perak and Kedah, days after the Election Comission denied a request for by-elections in two Perak state seats when their representatives defected to the ruling federal coalition.
The defection of the Behrang and Changkat Jering PKR representatives together with the DAP assemblywoman for Jelapang and Bota assemblyman Datuk Nasharudin Hashim's double-hop made Perak ruler Sultan Azlan Shah to command the ruling Pakatan Rakyat government to resign.
Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohd Nizar Jamaluddin has refused the royal command with the famous words "patik mohon derhaka" plunging the silver state into a constitutional crisis as the Perak palace has appointed Datuk Zambry Abdul Kadir to head a Barisan Nasional unity government with three independents.
The Election Commission today said it is awaiting official notice of Roslan's death. By-elections have to be called within 60 days of a vacancy. Barisan Nasional is expected to have an uphill battle to regain Bukit Gantang due to the prevailing hostile mood in the state following its takeover.
The ruling coalition has already lost two parliamentary by-elections since Election 2008 and the loss in future by-elections will make it difficult for Barisan Nasional to claim legitimacy in Perak.
Pakatan Rakyat, which is campaigning for snap polls in Perak where it believes it can reap a bigger majority, however cannot aim for anything less than a thumping victory to send a convincing message that the Perak electorate reject the Barisan Nasional power grab.
